Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches around the world

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new members from around the world!

ICYMI: Last week, we looked at defending drag screens with the "Jam and Under" coverage. Read the full newsletter HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Point Guard Stampedes - Step-Up Screens & Switch Attack​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Bob McKillop​

📢 Hudl + Fastmodel!​

🥇 Best of the Week: Made FT Clapbacks & Pistol PNR​

Let's dive in...

Middle Third Stampedes

One of the must-watch teams this season has been ERA Nymburk, a top contender in both the Czech league and FIBA Champions League. Led by head coach, Francesco Tabellini, Nymburk was the surprise of the Champions League, advancing from the qualification rounds all the way to the Quarter-Finals. Their impressive blend of offensive pace and execution, combined with a physical, "tag-up" defensive approach, has had them competing with the top clubs in Europe all season long.

Of the many tactical things that stands out about Nymburk, one concept rises above the rest: their ability to consistently pressure the rim and generate straight-line drives by empowering their point guards to relentlessly seek out middle-third "stampede" opportunities.

A growing offensive trend across Europe is the use of step-up screens in the middle third of the floor, and Nymburk is no exception. Much of their offensive flow and set play ultimately leads to an elbow-out step-up screen, where they are attacking the short side of the floor with two players spaced behind the action.

📺 We have looked deeper into the variety of ways teams can flow into this Step-Up screen concept HERE {🔒} and HERE {🔒}. Oh ya, and HERE {🔒} too.

Weaponizing the Step-Up Spacing

The advantage of routinely playing within this spacing structure is twofold: it allows Nymburk to get comfortable executing their automatics against a variety of PNR coverages while at the same time build a deeper understanding of how to space and play off the ballscreen attack. Just as importantly, it enables them to identify and exploit defensive cracks based on how opponents prepare to guard the step-up action.

With the point guard spaced high in the middle third, anticipating the step-up screen, any defender attempting to plug the nail unintentionally creates a runway for the point guard to run through the catch on the pass back to the top. By "stampeding" the catch, the guard can exploit a temporary gap and beat the defensive shift before it has time to close it off. Here's a look...

Zooming In: Above is a great example of the point guard attacking through the strong-side elbow with the stampede, exploiting the moment before the two defenders can shift from defending the wing exchange to their shell help responsibilities.

What would typically be a step-up screen attacking away from the full side immediately morphs into a downhill attack with a single-side shake read behind it...

Zooming In: Shown above, the offensive big, playing off the point guard's stampede, will immediately abort their screening responsibilities and dive cut from the elbow, syncing with the penetration. In our film study, we often found that the speed of the attack left the PG and big playing a 2v1 at the rim, with very little time for the lone backside defender to provide meaningful help.

And should the defense successfully snuff out the stampede by the point guard, the offense remains in prime position to continue their attack, executing the step-up screen and maintaining offensive flow...

Rethinking the PNR

The deeper we dove into the film, we began to admire how Nymburk found success in their PNRs, sometimes by not even using them or over-relying on their point guard to navigate multiple defenders behind the screen. This approach has become a growing theme in recent seasons, with teams exploiting the threat of the PNR to generate straight-line drives to the rim.

In previous newsletters, we examined this type of exploitation through the lens of rejecting the Flip Screen {🔒}. With the defensive big eager to execute their ballscreen coverage, they often chase the screener on the flip, opening up a gap for the ballhandler to attack through the reject...

In another use of the stampede, we looked at how teams exploit ballscreen coverages by pulling the defensive big away from the rim and attacking backside coverages with stampedes on the throw-ahead or extra pass {🔒}...

In all cases, the role and reads of the ballhandler in the ballscreen are simplified, and designed to exploit the weaknesses of sound defensive principles.

"Give & Go" Stampede

The stampede's final act comes in the form of attacking the ballscreen switch. In most cases, the switch presents the offense with one of two mismatches, a size advantage at the rim or a speed advantage on the perimeter. Playing off the "boomerang concept", which is used to give the perimeter mismatch a live dribble to attack, the guard briefly pauses to relax the defender on the pass out, then turns on the jets to stampede catch the return pass, turning it into a pure test of speed.

In our conversations with coaches, we often hear that, after a switch, the contested jump shot is one most defenses are willing to live with until a team hits them at a high enough rate to consider changing strategies (yes, time, score ,and personnel are factors). However, if the offense can regularly get the perimeter mismatch downhill, attacking the rim for themselves or creating spray-out opportunities, the switch quickly loses its effectiveness. This is where strategies like the stampede earn their value, creating high-value shots that force the defense to reconsider their approach.

Nymburk’s use of the stampede wasn’t just a wrinkle, it was a weapon. By leveraging the stampede to punish defensive schemes with speed and precision, they provide a prime example of how modern offenses can us sound, traditional defensive strategies in their favor. For more on Nymburk's use of the stampede with their point guards, please enjoy the full breakdown now on SGTV!

Together with Dr. Dish

Score major savings and the ultimate off-season training solution during Dr. Dish Basketball’s April Super Sale! Get $3,500 Off Dr. Dish CT+ and unlock endless stats, drills, and training capabilities. Shop before 4/30/25 or while supplies last.

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We had the pleasure of sitting down last week with the legendary Head Coach of Davidson MBB, Bob McKillop! In this fantastic conversation we explore Coach McKillop's thoughts on the core principles of offensive execution and efficiency, the importance of self reflection, and discuss maximizing odd practice situations, and healthy confrontations during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Together with Hudl

If you’ve used FastDraw, FastScout, or FastRecruit before, you should know: they’re now part of the Hudl family. That means tighter integrations with Sportscode, access to Instat data, and a cleaner workflow across your whole program. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from Fastmodel—just better connected. Learn more about what Hudl and Fastmodel are building together! Subscribers to Slappin' Glass can also directly email Winston Jones of Hudl at winston.jones@hudl.com.

Tactical

📺 Made FT Clapback - Drag Screener Corner Exit​

"A clever after FT set designed to roll a shooting forward off the drag screen into a corner exit screen."

✚ Pair With: A few other designed actions to quickly strike back after a made FT.

🎧 Pair With: Our podcast conversation with former Limoges and current PAOK BC Head Coach Massimo Cancellieri.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown of Coach Ben McCollum's use of ball screening with a "4-Man."​

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📺 Bilbao Basket - Ghost • Pistol PNR​

"A deceptive "Ghost" screen to initiate the Pistol PNR, creating early confusion and space for a dynamic guard."

✚ Pair With: After the initial entry ballscreen, the screener flows into a Slip Pistol PNR.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown of Bilbao’s frequent defensive tactic, "Switch to ICE."

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Interesting Reads

📚 The Genius of Jokic​

Ask NBA players about Nikola Jokic, and they all say the same thing. “He’s probably the smartest player that’s ever played,” says Christian Braun. So we examined Joker’s greatest gift—his brain.
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📚 25 Principles of Adult Behavior​

15. Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.

16. Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.

17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.

18. Never let your errors pass without admission.

19. Become less suspicious of joy.

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📚 Anonymous NBA Players Poll 2025​

The Athletic’s annual anonymous player poll is back, and it’s more comprehensive than ever. Our writers fanned out and spoke with 158 players. That’s over one-third of the league, with players from all 30 teams represented.

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Quote of the Week

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Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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